I have to remind people that just because I show no outward symptoms does not mean that I don't have PD. I do. I know that because occasionally symptoms do come to the surface. For example, when I open my mouth to talk and I have had a late night, I stumble to find words or, like at a lunch today, I had too much saliva in the back of my throat and had to clear it before I said anything and, of course, if I have forgotten to take my medicine, my right hand takes on a mind of its own. But, it is rare people put 2 and 2 together and come up with a PD diagnosis. Why's that you might ask. Well, it is rare that I forget my meds so people don't see the shaking; clearing the throat can be anything, cold, flu, arrogance; and, as for the inability to speak fluently that just leads people to think I am stupid, and there are times when there might be some truth in that assessment. In any case to look at me would lead you to the conclusion that I don't have parkinson's, but that would be false logic.
This short diatribe is the result of a news item I saw on TV. The news guy was talking to a 13 year old, Winnipeg girl, who has raised $40,000.00 toward finding a cure. She started 4 years ago when her dad was diagnosed. He sat proudly in the background and what did I think?
"Doesn't look like he has parkinson's".
Right! Doesn't look like he has it (absence of evidence) therefore he must not have it (evidence of absence).
I was a victim of an appeal to ignorance. Completely illogical.
"My bad" as they say. "Whoops", as I say. To err is human. As for logic, it has been defined as "The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human misunderstanding."
Ambrose Bierce slays me.
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